Unmistakable
by CarefulWithThatMic
Summary: A/U Gibbs finds out he has a 3 year old son that's been abused and abandoned by his mother. Gibbs must keep his son safe, and the team pulls together to support him. Some mentions of child abuse but nothing too graphic. Family/Papa Gibbs!
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own NCIS…**

**Unmistakable**

**Chapter 1**

Gibbs strode into the bullpen, coffee in hand, and Tony looked up from his computer.

"Oh hey Boss, D'Arcy McKinna from Child Protective Services is here to see you. She's in the conference room."

Gibbs looked at him curiously as he unloaded his gun and badge into his desk, "Did she say what it was about?"

"She wouldn't discuss it with me, but she did say that it was urgent that she speak to you."

Without another word, Gibbs went straight to the conference room. He greeted D'Arcy with a smile as he always did, but the look on her face made his gut twist into a tight knot.

"It's good to see you again, Gibbs. Have a seat," she said, pointing to a chair.

Gibbs remained standing and said, "So what brings you to NCIS today?"

"I had a hell of a night, Gibbs. I got an emergency call at two in the morning. My boss told me that a child had been dropped off at the emergency room."

"And?" Gibbs asked, impatiently waiting for her to get to the point.

"When I got there I learned that he was a 3 year old boy, and that he hadn't been dropped off at the emergency room, he was dumped out of a car onto the sidewalk in front of the emergency room."

It took every ounce of man that was Leroy Jethro Gibbs not to lose his cool. "Jesus D'Arcy, 3 years old is just a baby…" Gibbs bit his tongue hard and she continued the sad story.

"He's malnourished, underweight and neglected. We also found signs of physical abuse… old and new bruises and burns; but regardless of all that, he is still a sweet, very quiet, inquisitive little boy. He seemed content just to be out of the situation he was in before he got to the hospital."

"Does this child belong to a marine? Whose is he?"

"We don't know who he is, or who he belongs to." D'Arcy replied with a look that told Gibbs he still had not heard the whole story.

"So why are you telling all this to me?" Gibbs asked, fed up with trying to guess.

"Because I asked him what his name was when I first met him in the ER."

"And?"

"And, he says his name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs."

Gibbs backed up in surprise and then shook his head with a smirk. No… That's a mistake… Someone coached him to say that… God knows stranger things have happened to me."

"Gibbs…" D'Arcy interjected gently, "I think you just need to see for yourself." Gibbs sighed, downed the rest of his coffee and signaled D'Arcy to follow him into the bullpen.

Gibbs grabbed his badge and gun out of his desk, and told Tony, Tim and Ziva, "I'm out of the office for an hour. I expect your reports on my desk when I get back."

When he and D'Arcy were on the elevator in hospital, D'Arcy grabbed his hand and gave a squeeze of support. "He looks a little worn down when you first see him, but trust me Gibbs, I've seen much worse… and he's been in good spirits." Gibbs did not reply but gave her hand a small squeeze before letting go, and making his way toward the room.

D'Arcy led the way and finally she stopped next to an open door on the pediatric wing. "He's right in there," she said, and Gibbs slowly pulled back the curtain. The tiny boy was laying on his side with his back turned to them. Gibbs sat down in a chair next to the bed, and the creaking furniture caused the child to stir. The little one rolled over and looked right at him. Gibbs sucked in a breath as he made eye contact with the little one. Legal documentation was the only reason they would need to do a paternity test. It was unmistakable. This child looked just like his father, and had the same crisp blue eyes. For Gibbs, it was like looking into a magic mirror. In an instant, his entire world turned upside down. How did this happen? Who is his mother? Why didn't I know? A thousand thoughts and emotions ran through Gibbs at once, but it only took one small word from a tiny child to snap him back to reality.

"Hi," the little boy said, still resting his head on his batman pillow and popping his thumb into his mouth, but looking at Gibbs intensely. He seemed to be studying his father as much as his father had been studying him. Gibbs could not take his eyes off the tiny version of himself, and a smile crept across his face.

"Hi there," Gibbs whispered as he crouched next to the bed, to get at eye level with his son. "Are you ok?" The little boy nodded but did not say anything. "Is it ok if I ask you some questions?" Gibbs mentally kicked himself. The damn investigator in him always came out at the worst times, but he needed to make it a priority to get whoever did this to his son.

The little boy did not answer his question, but asked his own, briefly removing his thumb to talk, "What's your name?"

Gibbs smiled and ruffled his hair gently. "My name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. What's your name?"

The boy popped his head up in surprise and smiled, "Hey, that's my name! But Mama calls me LJ, and sometimes Jet Plane."

"Where did you get such a great name?" Gibbs asked.

"Mama said I got it from my dad. 'I named you after your dad 'cause I knew you're gonna act like him!' He mimicked and then popped his thumb back into his mouth and became quiet. After a moment, he whispered around his thumb, "Are you my dad?"

"Yeah pal," Gibbs whispered, unable to stop a tear that had slipped down his cheek, "Yeah, I'm your dad."

**TBC… **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the reviews, follows and favorites!**

**Chapter 2**

_Gibbs smiled and ruffled his hair gently. "My name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs. What's your name?"_

_The boy popped his head up in surprise and smiled, "Hey, that's my name! But Mama calls me LJ, and sometimes Jet Plane."_

_"Where did you get such a great name?" Gibbs asked._

_"Mama said I got it from my dad. 'I named you after your dad 'cause I knew you're gonna act like him!' He mimicked and then popped his thumb back into his mouth and became quiet. After a moment, he whispered around his thumb, "Are you my dad?"_

_"Yeah pal," Gibbs whispered, unable to stop a tear that had slipped down his cheek, "Yeah, I'm your dad."_

* * *

Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed and took his son's hand. The little one reached up and touched his face gently, wiping away the tear that had fallen and studying his father. "Why you crying, daddy? Have a boo boo?"

Gibbs smiled lovingly at him and let more tears run down his cheeks. He hadn't been called daddy in a long time… And it felt damn good. "No boo boo. I'm crying because I'm happy I found you."

"Mama said you don't want me. 'Your daddy doesn't want a crybaby!'" He mimicked. Gibbs squeezed his hand. He was amazed at how articulate the little one was.

"That's not true. I do want you. I just didn't know about you before. But I do now, and I'm going to take good care of you." Gibbs' voice was gruff and he spoke in a near whisper for fear of his voice cracking. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw D'Arcy standing behind him. She smiled at him and Gibbs turned back to his son. "Hey pal, I've got to go out of the room and talk to Miss D'Arcy for just a few minutes. I'll be right back." His son nodded, put his thumb back into his mouth and closed his eyes.

He followed D'Arcy out into the hall, and waited for her to speak. "I know it's a lot to take in Gibbs… As soon as I saw him I and heard his name I knew he was yours…"

"Yeah," Gibbs said, running his hands over his face and trying to regain his composure. "So, what's next? How do I get custody?"

"Well, we need to run a paternity test. As soon as we get the result, we should have no problem getting a judge to sign off for temporary custody…"

"Nope," Gibbs said, cutting her off, "It's got to be permanent."

"One step at a time, Gibbs," D'Arcy replied, "We still have to figure out who is mother is and who was abusing him. I didn't let anyone question him yet. I figured you'd want to do that. Once we do know who is mother is we can file child abandonment and abuse charges, and _then_ file for permanent custody. He says his last name is Gibbs. That means your name is most likely on the birth certificate as the father. That should make it even easier."

Gibbs nodded, took both of D'Arcy's hands in his and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you," he whispered to her and then smiled, "I'm gonna have him call you guys Aunt D'Arcy and Uncle James from now on." He stood for a moment and looked at his friend with admiration in his eyes. He had known D'Arcy for almost 10 years now, and went to the batting cages with her husband James every few weeks. She had worked with them directly on dozens of cases involving the children of Marines. Her job was as tough as they come; as a child advocate, she was the voice of the voiceless, and it was her job to protect and defend those whose could not do it for themselves, and had no one else to do it for them. D'Arcy did the job proud. She had come to see him as soon as she was able to leave the hospital and Gibbs was now eternally grateful to her. She found his boy.

She smiled at her friend and said, "You're a good man, Gibbs. I'll do everything I can to help you with this. First things first. You go in there and talk to him. I'll bring the first round of paperwork for you to fill out, and then send you downstairs to the lab for the DNA test. And the doctor will be up to speak with you, shortly. I signed off for them to release his medical information to you. Sit tight. I'm gonna run to my office and I'll be back in an hour." She smiled and squeezed his hands before leaving.

Gibbs went back into his son's room, where his little boy was now sleeping. Gibbs sat gently on the bed next to him and ran his hands through his hair. He sat silently and watched his boy sleep until a doctor knocked gently on the door.

"Are you Special Agent Gibbs?" Gibbs nodded and stood to face the doctor. "D'Arcy said to expect you. I'm Doctor Troy Steeber."

"What can you tell me about my son, Doc?"

"Well, he's malnourished, and underweight. He says he's three, which makes him small for his age. He has old and new bruising on his backside and thighs and what look like cigarette burns on his upper arms and shoulders. Whoever was abusing him made sure that his clothes would cover the marks." Gibbs took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and let the Dr. Steeber continue. "Other than that, we've been pleasantly surprised by him. Most kids his age in this situation come in with fevers, infections from the untreated burns… Not him. His temperature was normal, and even the most recent burns are healing beautifully on their own. We treated them of course, but there haven't been any complications. His levels are good considering what he's been through and even in just the few hours he's been here we've seen a marked improvement. Expect him to make a full recovery. Some kids are just tougher than others. Good genes, I guess." The doctor offered a smile. "As soon as the judge signs off, we'll release him into your custody."

Gibbs nodded, "Thanks, Doc," and watched as the doctor listened to the little boy's heart and lungs. Dr. Steeber stole a glance at Gibbs while he was checking his patient, and saw the raw look on his face. Dr. Steeber and his wife had just adopted their first child, and he knew the emotion that Gibbs was feeling. He put his stethoscope back around his neck and turned to Gibbs again.

"Agent Gibbs, my wife and I just adopted a little boy from India. I want to share something with you…" He took his stethoscope off of his neck again and handed it to Gibbs.

"What do you want me to do with this?"

"Listen to your son's heart, Agent Gibbs. When Jen and I brought Doryu home, as soon as he went to sleep that first night in the hotel room in India… I took out my stethoscope and listened to his heart. Even though it's not my blood that runs through his veins, it's amazing to hear your child's heartbeat for the first time…"

Gibbs slowly put the ends of the stethoscope in his ears, and placed the pad against his son's chest. As soon as he heard his son's heart, he let out a shuttering breath and tears spilled down his cheeks. He should have heard this sound three years ago, while his son was still in the womb. Gibbs slowly took off the stethoscope and handed it back to the doctor. He had no words to speak. Dr. Steeber just smiled and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations, Agent Gibbs. You have a beautiful little boy."

The doctor left him alone again, and Gibbs took out his phone and hit a speed dial.

"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Tony answered.

"Tony... I'll be out of the office the rest of the week. You have point until I get back." Without an explanation he snapped his phone shut. There would be plenty of time to explain later. Right now, all of his attention had to be on the tired little boy that lay asleep in the hospital bed.

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Glad you guys are enjoying this! I do not own NCIS...**

**Chapter 3**

D'Arcy came back to the hospital with a fresh coffee and the first round of paperwork for Gibbs. The lab ran the paternity test, and when the results came through, D'Arcy quickly gathered up the paperwork and went to meet with a judge to grant Gibbs with temporary custody. After D'Arcy left, Gibbs continued to sit with his son. LJ had been sleeping soundly, and Gibbs figured his must be exhausted, for he had not woken, even as the nurses came and went to take his vitals. As he sat and watched him sleep, Gibbs thought back to three years ago, and suddenly he knew who LJ's mother was. After Hollis left, Gibbs had dated a woman named Jessica Dempsey for a few months. She moved back in with her parents, just a few doors down from Gibbs, when she injured her back in a car accident. Gibbs caught on fairly quickly that she was addicted to pain killers, and started getting on her to get some help. He liked her a lot, but her drug use caused a lot of arguments between them.

"Get off the damn drugs and we'd both be a lot happier!" Gibbs shouted at her one night as they sat in his basement.

"Damn it, Jethro, that's typical! Always bitching and complaining about me! Mr. Perfect federal agent has never done a wrong thing in his life! We'd be a lot happier, Jethro, if you just got off of my damn case!"

Gibbs suspected that she had started doing other drugs as well, but had no conclusive evidence. He stood up in the basement that night and pulled her into his arms.

"Let me help you..."

"Get away from me," she said as she pulled away from him and looked in the opposite direction. "I came over tonight because I have to tell you something."

Gibbs remained silent and waited for her to speak.

"Jethro, I'm..." She looked up at him with fear in her eyes, and then looked away again very quickly.

"You're what?"

She hesitated again and said, "I'm... I'm leaving. Goodbye, Jethro." She turned and left without another word. Gibbs learned from her parents the next night that she packed up her things and a man that they didn't know picked her up the next day. He never saw her again.

Gibbs sighed and ran a hand over his face. She had come to see him that night to tell him she was pregnant, but lost her nerve and left.

Looking back on that night, he kicked himself for not stopping her from leaving; but there was nothing he could do about it now. Just as he pulled out his phone to get the team searching for Jessica, D'Arcy came back and said, "The judge just signed off, Gibbs. You can take your son home."

Dr. Steeber came in and went over LJ's discharge instructions, and bade Gibbs good luck with his son. Gibbs softly rubbed his son's back to get him to wake up. "Hey pal, time to wake up. We're gonna go home."

LJ opened his eyes and rubbed them sleepily, "I have to go back to mama? I don't... I don't wanna..."

"You're not going back to mama, pal. I'm going to take care of you from now on." LJ studied Gibbs quietly and put his thumb back into his mouth. This man that said he was his daddy was nice... A lot nicer than his mama. LJ nodded his head in a silent ok, and sat up in bed. Gibbs scooped him up in his arms and hugged his son for the first time. LJ held him tightly and rested his head on his father's shoulder. Gibbs stood still and hugged his son for a moment before looking at him and saying, "C'mon pal. Let's go home."

D'Arcy gave him a car seat to use, and soon they were driving toward Arlington. As he drove, he kept glancing into the rear-view mirror. LJ sat silently in the back, his thumb tucked into his mouth. He gazed out the window as they drove and had a deep, contemplative look in his eyes. After they pulled into the driveway, Gibbs turned off the truck and pulled out his phone to check the time. He'd been at the hospital all day, and was hoping that the team hadn't caught a case and was almost ready to call it a day. He dialed Tony's cell and Tony immediately picked up.

"Hey Boss. Everything ok?"

"Yeah DiNozzo, everything's fine. I need you guys to come to my place when you get done. Tell Ducky, Palmer and Abby too."

"You want us all to come over? Gibbs, what's going on?"

"I'll explain when you get here," Gibbs replied and then hung up without another word.

He got out of the car, opened the back door, and got LJ out of his car seat. "Ok, pal?"

LJ just nodded and let Gibbs carry him into the house. After they got inside, Gibbs sat him on the couch and brought him a glass of milk. "I have to ask you some questions pal, and you just answer the best you can, ok?"

LJ nodded, took a sip of his milk, and waited for Gibbs to speak.

"Do you know what your mama's name is?"

"Jeppica." LJ replied and Gibbs nodded. So he was Jessica's.

"Did she take you to the hospital?"

LJ nodded again and whispered, "She said I hav'ta go cause it's not safe."

"Is she the one that hurt you?" Gibbs asked gently.

"I'm not 'apposed to tell," he whispered.

"It's ok to tell me, pal. No one is going to hurt you anymore. I'll protect you."

"Mama didn't give me no boo boos. She jus' yelled a lot."

"Who gave you boo boos?"

"Darren," LJ whispered in a small, barely audible voice.

"Who is Darren?"

"He came to live with us a long time ago," LJ said and then popped his thumb into his mouth. Gibbs nodded and figured that was enough questions for now. His boy was tired.

"Some of my friends are coming over to visit," Gibbs said as he took a seat next to him and pulled him onto his lap, "They're nice people."

"They gonna give me boo boos?" LJ asked warily.

"Nope," Gibbs said, "No more boo boos for you."

LJ continued to suck his thumb, but let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. Gibbs felt him relax in his arms, and Gibbs' chest tightened in sorrow. His boy shouldn't have had to go through all of this.

He set LJ back on the couch, and turned on some cartoons, and went to the kitchen to make coffee. When he came back into the living room, he sat back down and LJ crawled over and snuggled up to him. He looked up at Gibbs to make sure it was ok to cuddle. Gibbs smiled at him, kissed the top of his head and wrapped his arms around him, "I'm glad I found you, pal."

The two sat and watched cartoons until the front door opened and everyone on the team filed into the house. Their chattering died down, and then there was complete silence as they took in the sight of Gibbs and the little boy he was holding.

"Oh my God, Gibbs... He looks just like..." Abby trailed off and Gibbs finally spoke up.

"Everyone, this is LJ Gibbs. My son."

**TBC...**


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are awesome! I do not own NCIS...**

**Chapter 4**

_"Oh my God, Gibbs... He looks just like..." Abby trailed off and Gibbs finally spoke up._

_"Everyone, this is LJ Gibbs. My son."_

* * *

Gibbs held up a hand to prevent everyone from talking at once. He looked down at his son as he did, and the team kept quiet. "Just found out this morning. I'll get into more detail later." He said, not wanting to discuss the details in front of LJ. He was too little to understand. Abby got down on her knees in front of the couch and smiled at the little boy, who was clinging tightly to Gibbs.

"Hi LJ, my name is Abby. It's soooo nice to meet you!" LJ studied her curiously with his thumb tucked into his mouth, and after a minute, freed his thumb and smiled at her.

"I wike your pictures," he said, starting to trace the tattoos on her arms. Abby beamed at him and stood up again so the rest of the team could introduce themselves. LJ felt safe with Gibbs, and Gibbs did not relinquish the cuddly hold he had on his son. Tony knelt down next and stared at him in quiet amazement.

"You're scaring him, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, and Tony finally smiled.

"Hi LJ, I'm Tony. Wow, you look just like your dad!" Tony got up and Ziva was next.

"It's very nice to meet you, LJ. My name is Ziva."

"Pizza?" LJ asked suddenly, his head popping up. This made the team laugh, including Gibbs.

"Her name is Ziva, pal. Can you say Ziva?" Gibbs asked.

"Ziva," LJ repeated and Ziva smiled lovingly at him.

"Do you like pizza, LJ?" she asked and his eyes lit up and he nodded. "Tony!" Ziva called to her partner, "Our little brother would like some pizza."

Tony looked at Gibbs, who nodded his ok and Tony dialed the number for his favorite pizza shop.

"I'm your brofer?" LJ asked quietly.

"Yes," Ziva said, running her hand through his dark blonde hair. "We are a family because we love each other. Your dad is like a dad to us, so that makes you our brother."

"Cool," LJ whispered with a smile and Tim got down next.

"Happy to meet you, LJ. My name is Timothy McGee. You can call me Tim."

"Or McGee, McGeek, McGiggle, McGoogle, McNerd, ElfLord..." Tony chimed in after hanging up with the pizza shop and leaned over to tickle LJ's belly as he ran off a long list of McGee's nicknames.

LJ laughed out loud, and then started shrieking in delight as Tony tickled him. Gibbs' heart soared. It was the first time he ever heard his son laugh. LJ was now alert and smiling, his eyes shining at his new family.

"Hi LJ, I'm Jimmy. It's nice to meet you." Jimmy tapped the tip of his nose and LJ smiled again.

Finally, Ducky got down to introduce himself. "It's very nice to meet you, LJ. My name is Doctor Mallard, but you can call me Ducky."

LJ smiled, "I wike duckies. Are you my brofer too?"

Ducky smiled at him and said, I'm afraid I may be a bit old to be your brother. How does Uncle sound? You can call me Uncle Ducky, if you wish."

Tony sat down on the couch next to him and took out his phone. "Hey LJ, I have a few games on my phone, do you want to help me play until the pizza gets here?" LJ smiled and crawled over to sit next to Tony.

Gibbs took the opportunity to send the rest of the team into the kitchen. He turned to LJ and said, "I'm just going into the kitchen. Just yell if you need me, ok?"

LJ nodded and Tony said, "We'll be fine, Boss."

The rest of the team found seats around the kitchen table and Gibbs started to speak. "I'll explain more after he goes to bed. Right now, the only food I have in the house is steak. He has no clothes, toys, bedding, nothing. I need you guys to do some shopping for me."

"Not to worry, Gibbs!" Abby chimed, "Me and Ziva can handle clothes, toys and bedding."

"Yeah, and Jimmy and I can do grocery shopping for you," McGee offered.

"Absolutely Agent Gibbs," Jimmy agreed, "We'll make sure he has healthy, well-balanced meals. I saw this recipe once for a lovely tofu salad..."

"I appreciate that, Jimmy," Gibbs cut him off, "But I'll give you a list."

Abby, unable to contain herself a moment longer, threw herself at Gibbs and wrapped him up in a tight hug. "Gibbs, I'm so happy for you! This is so exciting! We have a new brother to play with!"

"Yes Abba," Ziva said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "This is a very happy day for our family."

"Congratulations indeed, Jethro. I am very excited!" Ducky said.

"Thanks," Gibbs whispered, and then turned around to pour himself a fresh cup of coffee. He did not want them to see the happy tears that threatened him. He cleared his throat and peeked out into the living room. LJ was snuggled into Tony's side, and they were both furiously tapping at Tony's phone and giggling. Gibbs turned and looked at the rest of his family. They were not his blood, but he loved them all the same.

Everyone made their way back into the living room, and Gibbs started making shopping lists. After a while, there was a knock at Gibbs door. Tony and LJ looked at each other and then shouted together, "Pizza!" and started giggling again as they got up to answer the door.

LJ sat on Tony's hip, and Tony swung the door open. LJ's smiled faded quickly and he tucked his thumb into his mouth and buried his face into Tony's shoulder.

"Uh, can we help you?" Tony asked, confused. In a flash, Gibbs was standing at the door next to them.

The woman opened her mouth to speak, but Gibbs did not give her a chance. "Jessica Dempsey," Gibbs barked as he roughly whirled her around and slapped handcuffs onto her wrists tightly, "You are under arrest for child abuse and abandonment." Before she could protest, Gibbs was pushing her toward his car.

**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is kind of short, but has a lot going on. Enjoy! I do not own NCIS...**

**Chapter 5**

_LJ sat on Tony's hip, and Tony swung the door open. LJ's smiled faded quickly and he tucked his thumb into his mouth and buried his face into Tony's shoulder._

_"Uh, can we help you?" Tony asked, confused. In a flash, Gibbs was standing at the door next to them._

_The woman opened her mouth to speak, but Gibbs did not give her a chance. "Jessica Dempsey," Gibbs barked as he roughly whirled her around and slapped handcuffs onto her wrists tightly, "You are under arrest for child abuse and abandonment." Before she could protest, Gibbs was pushing her toward his car._

* * *

LJ briefly looked up and saw Gibbs leading his mother away in handcuffs. He was smart enough to understand that right now everything was not ok. Not knowing what else to do, LJ started to cry. Tony was still holding him and looked startled when LJ started crying, like was not sure what to do. Ziva quickly took him from Tony and held him close. She rubbed his back and whispered to him in a mix of Hebrew and English, "I know you're feeling scared, neshomeleh, but do not worry..." Even though LJ only understood about half of what she was saying, her words were quiet and soothing, and he started to calm down.

"Close the door," Gibbs shouted as he led Jessica away from the house, "I'll be back in a minute." Once they were standing beside the car, he spun her back around to face him.

"Jethro," she started but Gibbs did not let her speak. He could count on one hand the number of times he had been _this _angry with someone.

"No, Jessica. Just don't. You had a baby, MY BABY... AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?! Then you dump him on the sidewalk in front of the ER, abused, malnourished and neglected and then just show up at my door... FOR WHAT? TO TALK? No. That ain't happening. You're under arrest."

"Jethro, please... I'm in danger. LJ is in danger..." She slurred, obviously high.

"No, LJ _was_ in danger... when he was with you. But that's not gonna be a problem now."

"Jethro! I need to talk with you, please... And I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Gibbs stood thinking for a moment. He could call Metro to pick her up, but he was pretty sure there was no warrant out for her arrest yet, so legally they could not hold her... but she didn't know that. Gibbs opened the back door of the Charger.

"Sit." He ordered, and she sighed but did as she was told. He slammed the door shut and walked back up to the house. He took a second to calm himself and then went in. LJ was still sniffling and clinging to Ziva. As soon as he saw his daddy, a fresh wave of tears flowed from his eyes. Gibbs immediately took him from Ziva and hugged him close.

"Daddy, I don't wanna go..."

"Shh, it's ok, pal. You're not going anywhere. Mama's gotta go away to get help. You don't ever have to go with her again. Remember I told you that I'm gonna take care of you now?" LJ nodded and hugged him around the neck tightly.

"That was his mother?" Abby asked quietly.

Gibbs let out a deep sigh, "Yeah. She abandoned him outside of the hospital last night."

"What can we do, Boss?" Tim asked.

Gibbs used his free hand to fish his wallet out of his back pocket and took out a credit card. "Tim, Abbs, Jimmy, go shopping. Get him everything that he needs, I don't care what it costs. Tony, Ziva... Can you guys stay here for a bit and watch LJ?"

"Of course, Gibbs," Ziva replied.

Gibbs then turned to Ducky and said, "Duck, I need you to call Vance and let him know what's going on. Tell him I'm going to use an NCIS interrogation room for a few hours. Off the record. I need you to come to headquarters with me to observe the interrogation and do a psych profile on her."

"Absolutely Jethro." Ducky replied and Gibbs sat on the couch and wiped the few remaining tears from his son's eyes.

"Hey pal, I gotta leave for a few hours and make sure mama gets help, ok? Tony and Ziva are gonna stay here with you, and Abby, Jimmy and Tim are gonna come back in a bit with food, clothes and toys for you."

"Toys?" LJ asked looking up.

"Oh yeah," Abby said, trying to ease his mind, "Abby's got you covered on toys. You'll have a ton by the time I get back!"

"Kay," LJ whispered and then Gibbs handed him back to Ziva.

"I love you, pal. I'll be back soon." Gibbs said, and everyone but Tony and Ziva filed out the front door.

Gibbs got into the Charger and started the engine, and saw the pizza being delivered as he drove off. There would be plenty of time to eat later. Right now, he needed to focus on getting Jessica into interrogation and getting some answers.

"Jethro..." Jessica said softly from the backseat, still handcuffed.

"No. You just sit there and keep your mouth shut until we get to headquarters."

"Oh for the love of God, Jethro..." Gibbs slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the side of the road. Jessica shrunk back into her seat. Gibbs had been angry with her before, but she had never seen him this angry.

"WHAT?!" Gibbs shouted, "What could you possibly have to say to me that can't wait until we get there?!" Jessica looked down at her lap and did not reply, and Gibbs shook his head. "You're a real piece of work, Dempsey." He put the car back into drive and peeled away without another word.

**TBC...**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own NCIS...**

**Chapter 6**

Gibbs sat Jessica down in the interrogation room, and then went to the break room and poured her a cup of coffee. He returned to interrogation, set the coffee down in front of her and said coldly, "Sober up," before leaving the room again. She had not spoken a word since Gibbs screamed at her in the car. Gibbs went into the bullpen, sat down at his desk and sighed. This was going to be the toughest interrogation he'd ever done. Director Vance came down the stairs, approached Gibbs at his desk and set his briefcase down.

"I just heard a hell of a story from Dr. Mallard, Gibbs. Are you ok?"

"Well_ no_, Leon, I'm not ok." Gibbs snapped. Then he sighed and looked at the Director, trying to think of something to say to remedy his obvious attitude. He just wanted to go home and get to know his son.

"It's alright, Gibbs. I can imagine you're probably still in shock. That's a hell of a lot for anyone to take in one day. His mother in interrogation?"

"Yeah, room two. Jessica Dempsey. I dated her for a few months about four years ago. She found out she was pregnant, never told me, and left... And God only knows what she's done to my boy in all that time..."

"Well, that's why she's here, so we can find out. I'll have all recording devices turned off in room two. As soon as you're done and the warrant is issued we'll have Metro pick her up." Vance picked up his briefcase again, and headed to observation to have the tech turn off recording and clear the room. When he came back, as he walked past Gibbs' desk to leave he said, "My phone is on if you want to talk."

Gibbs just nodded his thanks and sat silently at his desk. After a minute he picked up his phone and dialed D'Arcy's number.

"I was just about to call you," D'Arcy said as she answered.

Gibbs did not waste any time. "His mother's name is Jessica Dempsey."

"Gibbs, you always manage to stay one step ahead of me. I ran a check on all births in the Metro area in the last three years, and found only one Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Jr. You are listed as the father and Jessica is his mother."

"Do we have a warrant yet?"

"I just put the request in. It should be coming back to me any time. As soon as it does, I'll forward it to Metro, and they'll check her last known address."

"No need. She's here at NCIS. I have her in interrogation. She showed up at my house... I need answers, D'Arcy... Forward the warrant to me. As soon as I'm done with her, I'll call Metro and have them come get her.

"You got it, Gibbs. Call me if there's anything you need."

"Thanks," Gibbs said before he snapped his phone shut. He heard the bell of the elevator and watched as Ducky stepped off and came over to his desk.

"Holding up, Jethro?"

"As good as can be expected, Duck. You ready?"

Ducky held up his pad of paper and pen, and then followed Gibbs to the observation room. Once they were there, they peered at Jessica through the glass. "I'm going to need a brief history before we begin," Ducky said and Gibbs nodded.

"Not too much to tell. She moved in with her parents, both of whom are now deceased, about four years ago. This was after Hollis left... They lived just a few houses down. She moved back in with them after a car accident that herniated a few discs in her back. I found out that she was addicted to pain killers, and we fought a lot about getting her help. I think she was doing other drugs too, but I had no proof."

"Tell me about the last time you saw her before today," Ducky said, scribbling notes on his pad. Gibbs told Ducky of how they argued that night, and how it seemed like she was there to tell him something, but she left before revealing anything.

Ducky finished writing on his notepad and said, "I think that will do for now. Whenever you're ready, Jethro."

Gibbs turned and left the observation room. He took a deep breath before going into interrogation and taking a seat across from Jessica. He silently stared at her with his piercing blue eyes until she spoke, just above a whisper.

"How's LJ?"

"You didn't seem to give two craps about how he was when you dumped him out of the car at the hospital last night." Gibbs replied.

"That's not true, Jethro. I had to drop him off, it wasn't safe for him to be with me anymore." She still had yet to establish any eye contact with Gibbs.

"Doesn't seem like he was ever safe with you! He's underweight and malnourished. He has bruises on his butt and thighs and CIGARETTE BURNS on his shoulders! He's told me several times already that he doesn't want to live with you anymore. It doesn't seem like his mother cared at all."

"I do care about him. It's just that money is always tight and there's not always food in the house..."

Gibbs cut her off and snapped, "I bet there's always plenty of drugs in the house, though. Let me ask you a question... Who THE HELL is Darren?"

"Darren is the reason we're not safe," she said briefly making eye contact with Gibbs then looking down at her hands. "He's my ex-boyfriend."

"Is he the one that picked you up at your parents when you left?"

She nodded and continued. "Darren abused LJ, not me."

"But you didn't stop him." Gibbs stated flatly.

"I couldn't!" she said defensively, "My disability checks weren't enough to cover all the bills."

"And the drugs," Gibbs cut in. She sighed deeply at his comment, and he watched as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"You're right, Jethro. You're right. I have neglected my son..."

"Our son."

"...our son, and allowed him to be abused so I could get my daily fix. I love LJ, but I was never a good mother. The first year was good, but after that, I just couldn't function as a parent anymore. And he looks so much like you, Jethro! Every time I looked at him I saw you, and I saw the disappointed look you always gave me. It made it hard not to snap at him... I wanted to tell you, but I knew you would take him from me... and that scared me. I needed the drugs, but I was selfish and wanted my child too, even knowing that it probably wasn't for the best."

"Probably?" Gibbs asked incredulously.

"I left Darren last week. He found us, and beat LJ to teach ME a lesson. He said if we left him again he would find and kill both of us. So I got up in the middle of the night and snuck LJ out to the car. He heard us when my car started, and then chased us in his car. That's why I dropped LJ off without taking him inside myself. Darren was only about a block behind us. There were nurses standing around outside and I screamed at them to help before I left. I saw them taking him inside when I drove off, and knew he'd be safe there."

"So how did you get away from Darren?"

"He ran out of gas," she replied and then looked up at Gibbs with tears in her eyes. "Jethro, I'm so sorry..."

"It's not me that you need to apologize to." Gibbs said curtly.

"Tell him for me, Jethro. Please. Tell him mama is so sorry... and that I love him... I love my little Jet Plane..."

"I'm gonna need Darren's last name, address, phone number, friends names, and a full description."

"His last name is Parker. I'll write it all down for you," she whispered, and Gibbs pushed a pad of paper and pen in front of her. "Jethro please, tell him..."

Gibbs sighed but nodded in agreement, "Yeah... Yeah, I'll tell him... It didn't have to be like this, you know. I would've taken care of you and LJ... got you the help you need."

"I know you would have, Jethro... I'm sorry... All I can say is that I'm sorry."

Gibbs got up quickly and left the interrogation room. Ducky came out of observation to see Gibbs in the hallway, punching at the wall and with silent tears streaming down his face.

He put a hand on Gibbs' shoulder and said, "Come on, Jethro. Let her write down Darren's information. Then we'll have Metro come get her, and I'll take you home to your boy."

Gibbs wiped the tears off of his face and quickly regained his composure, "Yeah... that sounds good, Duck."

**TBC...**


End file.
